Last weekend my "baby" cousin was married. Yep, she's 27, not so much of a baby, but that;s always how I've seen her, my baby cousin that I'm fiercely protective of. Not that I don't feel that way about my other cousins, but I'm closest with Amanda... always have been, always will be. Anyway, we took an adventure down to North Carolina in order to part in her special day.
I hope you enjoy.
We flew out last Thursday night. Yes, we flew. Sounds a little dramatic for NC, but we had to be there by Friday for the rehearsal and then back on Sunday. After calculating hours in the car, a grumpy child and husband, we knew flying was the best option. Plus it was a special event, so we bit the bullet and bought the pricey tickets. Turned out to be a smart move!
We arrived in NC on Thursday night around 11:30pm. Ava made it until about 10:30 shortly after we boarded our connection to Wilmington from Charlotte. Carrying 42 lbs off the plane with 3 carry-ons, a booster seat, and a laptop wasn't easy, but we managed. Our cousins, Amanda, Shelley, Chelsea, & Derek (Chel's boyfriend - but he's family too) picked us up. A big THANK YOU to them for doing that. They also took us back to the airport on Sunday!
Friday we had most of the day to spend at the beach. We haven't been to
the beach in two years, so we were all really looking forward to it.
Ava's Gigi enjoyed having her there too.
Ava & Derek... she loves that guy!
Ava with Derek, Chelsea, & Shelley - jumping waves
The house we stayed in was absolutely beautiful. It slept at least 15, if not more... and I'm pretty sure we had more! But here are a few pictures of and from the house.
the front
the back
Friday evening, we had the rehearsal & dinner. Mark's (the groom) Mom Pat, made a billion pans of lasagna. It was so very good, and we were shocked with Ava ate it and then asked for seconds! I definitely need that recipe.
Opening our bridesmaid's gifts
Amanda and Grandma (or Gigi)
The Bridesmaids & Bride
Kelly, Chelsea, Amanda (the Bride), Sarah (with a too low fadora!), and Shelley
The cousins
The Longs
Chelsea, JD, Amanda, Linda, & Shelley
The future Mr. & Mrs. Summerfield
Mark & Amanda
during the rehearsal
On Saturday morning we all got up bright and early. Amanda's friend Bobbi Jo came around 9:30 to start doing our hair. (She did an amazing job!) I spent most of the morning (3.5 hrs) steaming all our dresses, and the guys suits, plus a few extras for anyone else that needed it. Ava enjoyed walking around the house and seeing what everyone was into, while Nathan spent most of the day out on the front porch studying. It was literally the only place in/on the house that was somewhat quiet. We had stuff going on everywhere.
could she be more excited?
steaming away
peace and quiet
Once we all were dressed and ready to go, the wait began. There weren't too many guests (about 50 or so) so we weren't waiting too long, but in that moment it felt like forever. But it gave us plenty of time to talk and hang out together.
Can you guess what's going on here? LOL
(pictures out of order... sorry!)
Cousins
Chelsea, Sarah, & Shelley
the dress...
Mrs. Summerfield
here comes the bride
Hey Amanda!
(I tried to take as many pictures of Amanda as we were walking out as I could... I wasn't quick enough, I wanted to get a picture of her dress going down the stairs... but this worked too)
The reception
in our "backyard"... and note the playset, it was a lifesaver and gave us the opportunity to relax and enjoy ourselves while the kids played.
The Twins
Chelsea & Shelley
Mrs. Summerfield
The Cake
(3 layers, chocolate chip, raspberry, & red velvet... amazing!)
I'm pretty sure this was the most beautiful wedding I've ever seen, and we were all very honored to be a part of it. We can't wait to see everyone again in a couple of weeks when we meet up for Thanksgiving (you know our super early family Thanksgiving in October!). We're also planning a reception for Mark & Amanda since none of our other family members could make it. I'm sure we'll have more pictures from that too. And I'd love to post the pictures from the photographer... they are AMAZING, I'm talking Bridal Couture-esk, but obviously can't post those without permission.
We truly enjoyed getting away for the weekend, even if it was very quick and very full. This was definitely worth it. And you know what... even just a day at the beach is good for the soul. Looking forward to the day that this is my view every day!
1 comment:
Sarah you deserve an award for posting that many pictures..i would have lost my mind before i got to the end. looks like you all had a great time! beautiful. glad to see that all is well with your little family!
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